After a tutoring session gone wrong causes Moon Dancer to storm out on her, Sunset is forced into a decision she never wanted to make. Now with her future on the line, if her legacy doesn't get her expelled, the upcoming alchemy exam just might...

With her new friend off in Trottingham and the Princess in Griffinstone, Sunset finds herself bored and lonely for the first time. However, Moon Dancer and the Princess already have a plan in place in the form of a perky blue unicorn named Minuette.

Starswirl is a gifted unicorn and the star pupil of Princess Sunset Shimmer. She lives her days in the palace observatory with her dragon assistant. However soon Deepened Dusk will be free from her moon prison. What will our heroine do?

After a minor magical mishap with Moon Dancer, Sunset Shimmer heads to the lounge for some tea to unwind. However, there she finds a young teacher walking down a path she once walked, giving Sunset a unique opportunity…

Celestia’s prized student, Sunset Shimmer, must deal with an unexpected remnant of her past while seeking a lost book in the Royal Canterlot Archives. Right after lunch and some meddling from her friends.

After a tutoring session gone wrong causes Moon Dancer to storm out on her, Sunset is forced into a decision she never wanted to make. Now with her future on the line, if her legacy doesn't get her expelled, the upcoming alchemy exam just might...

After an entertaining evening meeting Sunset’s newest friend Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia seeks an old intelligence report that may hold a secret from Equestria’s past that will forever change Equestria’s future.

After a tutoring session gone wrong causes Moon Dancer to storm out on her, Sunset is forced into a decision she never wanted to make. Now with her future on the line, if her legacy doesn't get her expelled, the upcoming alchemy exam just might...

After a minor magical mishap with Moon Dancer, Sunset Shimmer heads to the lounge for some tea to unwind. However, there she finds a young teacher walking down a path she once walked, giving Sunset a unique opportunity…

After an entertaining evening meeting Sunset’s newest friend Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia seeks an old intelligence report that may hold a secret from Equestria’s past that will forever change Equestria’s future.

With her new friend off in Trottingham and the Princess in Griffinstone, Sunset finds herself bored and lonely for the first time. However, Moon Dancer and the Princess already have a plan in place in the form of a perky blue unicorn named Minuette.

After a wonderful morning pranking dragons, an old friend beckons Philomena home once again. Desperate to escape, she finds herself in flying into a warzone. A warzone where a being from myth and legend just took the field…

Celestia’s prized student, Sunset Shimmer, must deal with an unexpected remnant of her past while seeking a lost book in the Royal Canterlot Archives. Right after lunch and some meddling from her friends.

An excellent start. It seems Celestia is continuing her probably not very nefarious but still top secret plans. I get the feeling that Celestia does want to have Sunset ascend into an Alicorn, and that she's afraid of telling Sunset that it was originally supposed to be Twilight before the timeline shift.

8714505Now i imagine Sunset starting the whole Transformation process just for Twilight to walk into the room busy reading a book or something, The glow moves on to Twilight and transforms her, she failing to notice since shes too busy reading a book...

Oh deer, that's quite some specialized fan service there. While I'm on fan service, I'll segue to how much I love Raven as a side character in this continuity. Her mannerisms and interactions with Celestia are a really nice addition.

it’s just a little test.

My my... it really is an AU if Twi can say that. Sunset's had an even greater effect than I would have thought. Speaking of... while I get Celestia's concern in regards to the report, why does she seem so against the two getting closer emotionally? Does she just assume it won't work out, thus damaging any friendship (and harmony) between them? I feel like sitting them both down and having a frank discussion about what she knows might work out better than keeping them in the dark when, at any moment, they could find out (Celestia has no idea when, or if, that other Twi, Spike, or Glimmer will show back up). That said... full disclosure has never really been her style, for better or worse. All these characters are rather dear to me (not sorry), so it hope it all works out for them.

I understand that risks are an unavoidable part of securing the future when there are a lot of uncertain variables. But the more Celestia mulls over her plan, and the more background information is gradually filtered out to us, the less convinced I become about the path she's chosen. Risks might be unavoidable, but I'm no longer certain that the risk she's settled on is necessary.

Just as I become less convinced that a thousand some years of experience is actually of any kind of benefit to decision making, since it seems that Celestia has, instead of evaluating every possible path and choosing the best one among them, has fatalistically latched onto the path that was shown to her by a magical artifact that has been proven by itself to be unreliable.

at any moment, they could find out (Celestia has no idea when, or if, that other Twi, Spike, or Glimmer will show back up)

While Celestia did secure the report, that's quite true. She doesn't know when those three might show up again. She's working with only pieces to a puzzle that's semi-clear to all of us. And it's hard to work with so little information, especially for someone who's used to having excellent intelligence (we saw just how extensive the ESS is in Cloudsdale).

latched onto the path that was shown to her by a magical artifact that has been provenby itselfto be unreliable.

And so we begin in earnest. You know, I was actually rereading "Grading on a Bell Curve" for something like the fourth time when you posted this. I'm certainly going to reread the reast of the series in preparation for this one. Really looking forward to this, as well as "The Last Train Home". You and Monochromatic have me hooked on RariTwi,and I regret nothing.

Hmm. Celestia is afraid that Twilight is too much of a distraction for Sunset, and her friendshipping will suffer? Pushing Twilight together with Moondancer might solve that. Or make everything way worse with jealousy. Celestia should follow her own advice and let it develop naturally.

8714652The Mirror, yes, and looking back that comment was a bit vague in terms of the "unreliability," but what the mirror shows clearly varies depending on the circumstances surrounding those who look into it. Circumstances change, outcome changes. Based on that, it seems poorly thought out to base any plans on what is seen in the Mirror.

I don't know. It just seems to me that Celestia's plan, whatever it actually is, is involving risks that aren't really needed, accounting for my limited knowledge of the situation. With all the hopes for eventual forgiveness involved, you'd think she was planning to disregard Sunset as an individual and use her solely as a means to some end.

I am like, 90% certain that the apprehension I'm feeling is the desired effect.

The Mirror, yes, and looking back that comment was a bit vague in terms of the "unreliability," but what the mirror shows clearly varies depending on the circumstances surrounding those who look into it. Circumstances change, outcome changes. Based on that, it seems poorly thought out to baseanyplans on what is seen in the Mirror.

In Applications, Sunset did one day ask what the Mirror showed. Celestia only answered with one word: "Potential." And by its very nature, potential does change. Which means both of her visions are still possible.

I am like, 90% certain that the apprehension I'm feeling is the desired effect.

It was around this time that the long-dormant plans for construction of the CSGU High-Energy Magic Laboratory Annex were put on the fast track. Of particular interest were the prominent “Experiment in Progress” warning lamps outside every warded spellcasting chamber...

I'm sure Celestia believes she has some very good reasons for manipulating her students like this, and I even understand keepiung some of the information under wraps. But in other cases, I just want to hit her with a rolled-up newspaper. Old mare's been playing the Great Game for so long that she's all but forgotten how people work on an individual level.

I'm sure Celestia believes she has some very good reasons for manipulating her students like this, and I even understand keeping some of the information under wraps. But in other cases, I just want to hit her with a rolled-up newspaper. Old mare's been playing the Great Game for so long that she's all but forgotten how people work on an individual level.

I dunno that I'm mad at Tia, per se, but particularly given that she knows she's nearly lost Sunset, and knows she quite probably DID lose her in the original timeline, I do kinda want to join in the 'smacking her with a rolled up newspaper' group. I get her motivation, really I do. This is bigger than any one mare's sanity, or even several... but that doesn't mean I have to like it. And that little tidbit about Spike? Gah, tease us more with her potential shadiness, why don't you? ...There's a joke in there somewhere about a sun goddess being shady.

Hello there. Very little I can say beyond, excellent work on the start of this story. It took a while to get started, but was quite well worth the wait. Yeah, I love the work you've done on the characterizations, exchanges and future chapter set-up. I particularly liked Celestia's inner reflections, the chat between Celestia and Raven, Sunset and Twilight's argument concerning the precautions and preparations and the reactions to Moondancer's accidental transformation . And, yeah, while I'm not much into same gender pairings (unless they are specifically in the characters' character), I have to admit Twi and Sunset DO balance each other out quite well.

And, once again, I will most assuredly be looking forward to more of this, but will also be fully willing to respect that you have other matters in your life requiring attention too.

That's quite a bold claim -- seeing as I've already become so interested that I've spent the last few days trying to get all caught up on everything Wavelengths-related. Guess I picked a perfect(?) time to get into things!

Ah, at last, back to the present. So Celestia has mixed feelings on the Sunlight shipping, huh? And given the visions and particularly the unpredictable destinies involved here (compared to canon Twilight's relatively straight path), well, all that guilt is ominous. Nice opening, though I expect things to get worse soon.

I guess Spike's egg isn't just lying around anymore either. I've got to go reread some of the other stories since many of the details have slipped my mind (particularly what Sunset saw in the mirror). They're still a long way off from when alicorn Twilight will show up again, but that will probably be awkward too, to say the least. Looking forward to another of your stories. Wonder how many other of the "alternate" Mane Six will show up, to either help the (possible) awkward triangle forming (or to take bets on how it'll go).

Wonder how many other of the "alternate" Mane Six will show up, to either help the (possible) awkward triangle forming (or to take bets on how it'll go).

I don't believe we're going to have any of the Main Timeline Mane 6 in this one, save Twi, obviously. But the next one explores one directly and gives an oblique reference to another! By the time the Dreamers Arc ends, you'll have seen them all!

As for any triangles... well, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about.

Huzzah! The stage has been set, now it is time to start the show! I've been looking forward to this. I can never get enough shimmy, after all.

So far, Celestia seems to be keeping a number of secrets. Chess master Celestia is always interesting, especially if it requires her be almost duplicit at times. Although, whose to say what secrets she is keeping in this story. Her intentions might be as benevolent as ever, but does she really know what's best? I guess we'll see.

Also, book-title tie in so early in a story? That must mean it has significance moving forward. I'm onto your games Novel

And now we have Celestia who is gonna matchmaker Twilight and Moon Dancer together so Sunset doesn't get tied up with Twilight. Always the chess master and always thinking of the broader picture. This may be "better" for Sunset but it doesn't mean it's the right decision.